Vending-machine.



No. 78,324. Patented Nov. ll, I902.

M. B. MILLS.

VENDING MACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 14, 1901.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet l.

Patented Nov. ll, I902.

M. B. MILLS.

vznnme MACHINE.

(Application filed. Dec. 14, 1901.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

I aeax jzueiziarx LMrZZ WaerZ, QM

m: Ncmms PETERS ca. moraumcu msnmomu. n c

No. 713,324. 5 Patented Nov. ll, I902.

M. B. MILLS.

vaunma MACHINE.

(Application filed. Dec. 14, 1901.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Jizz/enzfar Lfii'rhner tum- 0 WASHINGTON. n. cv

ms' NORRIS PETERS no Pnor No. 7l3,324. Patented Nov. ll, I902.

M. B. MILLS. 'vsu'nme mAcmm-z.

(Application filed Dec. 14, 1901.)

4 Sheets-Sheet '4.

(No Model.)

wz NORRKS vzrzns co. FHOTQLITNOU WASHINGTON. o. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MORTIMER B. MILLS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VENDING-MACHINE.

S?EGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 71 3,324, datedNovember 11, 1902.

Application filed December 14, 1901. Serial No. 85,952. (No model.)

To a whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MORTIMER B. MILLS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Vending-Machines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to coincontrolled vending-machines foruse in dispensing small articles or parcels, such as cigars.

The improved machine may be operated by any suitable coin-controlledmechanism, but is particularly adapted to be operated through the mediumof the coin-controlled mechanism described in my application of evendate, Serial No. 85,951.

My primary objectis to provideasimple and efficient machine of thischaracter well adapted to the purpose of vending articles from theoriginal package, though, as will be readily understood, the inventionis applicable to vending-machines generally.

In the accompanying drawings my invention is illustrated in itspreferred form in connection with a cigar-vending machine for thepurpose of vending cigars from cigar-boxes of novel construction, saidboxes constituting the original packages for the goods.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical section perpendicular tothe front of the machine; Fig. 2, a plan sectional view taken asindicated at line 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a plan section taken as indicatedat line 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, an enlarged broken vertical sectionparallel to the section shown in Fig. 1 and showing the machine inoperation; and Figs. 5 to 9, inclusive, detail views showing a series ofcams employed and the relative positions of the cams.

A represents 'a casing, preferably divided into compartments A A 5,adischarge-chute for the cigars or parcels; C, a case or box of novelconstruction employed in connection with the improved machine; D D D DD, a series of cigar or parcel supports carried by a series of levers a,pivotally supported on a shaft a and provided with cam-engaging studs asaid levers being provided with Weights a serving to hold the studs a inengagement with their respective cams; E, a shaft supported on bracketsb and bearing a series of a ratchet-wheel fixed to the shaft E andnormally held against retraction by a pawl 0, held by springs c, and H alever pivotally supported at d and equipped at its rear end with apivoted arm or pawl 61, having a stud d engaging the teeth of theratchet-wheel G, said lever being held by a spring (1 the free end ofthe lever resting in practice upon a coin-actuated member of anysuitable coincontrolled mechanism.

The casing preferably is constructed with a horizontal partition f,which separates the compartment A from the compartment A said partitionhaving an opening for receiving the box C and being equipped with lugs ffor supporting said box. The box C is provided with a series oftransverse partitions and a series of longitudinal partitions,whichdivide the box into a plurality of individual receptacles for thecigars. By preference the box is provided With a rearwardly-swinginglower cover g, a rearwardly-swinging upper cover g, and adownwardly-swinging front section g while the compartment A is providedwith a transparent front wall h,through which the cigars may be viewed.As shown, the perforation receiving the box C is large enough to receivesaid box when the cover g is swung to a vertical position, and thispermils the box to be used without detaching said cover g. In practicethe cover g is thrown rearwardly and the cover 9 downwardly to exposethe cigars to view.

The lower compartment A is provided at its front side with a receptacleI, into which the articles are discharged from the chute B. The vendingmechanism is-contained within the compartment A and said compartment isprovided at its front wall with an opening 70, whereat any suitablecoin-controlled mechanism may be applied for operating the machine-such,for instance, as the mechanism described in my above-designatedapplication.

Each cigar or parcel support comprises one of the levers CL and aforwardly-projecting longitudinally-reciprocable arm m,which extendsacross the upper end of the chute B and supports a row of cigars m. Theconstruction and arrangement of the above-mentioned cams are such thatas the shaft E is turned in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig.1 the first support D is moved rearwardly by a step-by-step movement,allowing the cigars of the first row to fall successively into the chuteB, after which the support D is moved rearwardly bya step-by-stepmovement, and so on throughout the series until the box is emptied.During the rearward movement of the support D the support D isautomatically returned to its first position, and so on throughout theseries. When a new box is supplied to the machine, the attendant turnsthe shaft far enough to bring the last support to its first position.

The positions of the cams shown in Figs. 5 to 9, inclusive, correspondto the position shown in Fig. 4, the cam F having been moved to aposition to permit the cigar-support D to move to the rear end of itstraverse, while the cam F is in position to permit the support D tobegin its rearward movement at the next operation of the machine. Asappears, each cam has a circular surface Z, which ends at shoulders Z P.At the shoulder Z beginsa series of steps or descending teeth Z Z Z Z F,the latter being flush with an inclined surface Z which extends to theshoulder Z As will be perceived, the steps are included within angleswhich correspond with the pitch of the teeth on the ratchet-wheel G, sothat when a pin a on a lever a engages a series of steps it is permittedto drop step by step until the lever reaches the rear side of its are,after which the lever is restored to its former position by the inclinedsurface Z It will now be understood that when the'lever H is actuated bymeans of suitable coin-controlled mechanism the ratchet-wheel Gisadvanced through the space of one tooth.

The operation will be readily understood from the foregoingdetaileddescription. The box or package containing the articles to be vended isplaced with its under side open in the position shown in Fig. 1, withthe cigars or parcels resting in rows on the series of parcel-supports.By anysuitable mechanism the lever H is actuated through an arc of Snfficient size to move the ratchet-wheel through the space of one tooth.Preparatory to placing the box 0 in position the shaft E is turned intoa proper position to bring the alined circular portions of the camsbeneath the stud a of the corresponding lever to, so that all theparcel-supports are in the position indicated in Fig. 1. It should beadded that there is but one position of the shaft which corresponds tothis condition of afiairs, and that as soon as the ratchet-wheel G ismoved through the space of one tooth from this position the support Dbegins its rearward movement. The cigars of the first row are caused todrop successively into the discharge-chute, from which they aredelivered to the customer at the receptacle I, and after the first rowof cigars is exhausted the next operation of the machine causes thefirst cigar of the second row to be delivered. Likewise the cigars ofthe second row are delivered in succession to the discharge-chute, andthe next operation of the machine delivers the first cigar of the thirdrow, and so on.

It is obvious that a box of any desired size may be employed for holdingthe articles to be vended and that cigars or other articles or parcelsof cigars or other articles may be delivered; also, it will beunderstood that the principle of my invention may be employed in otherforms of mechanism than the one herein shown. Hence no undue limitationis to be understood from the foregoing detailed description.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. Ina vending-machine, the combination of an article-receptacle, anarticle-support, one of said members being automatically reciprocablymovable longitudinally with relation to the other, and mechanism foractuating the movable member by a step-by-step movement.

2. In a vending-machine, the combination of an article-receptacle, alongitudinally-reciprocable support against which the articles rest, andautomatic mechanism for reciproeating said support and producing astep-bystep movement thereof in one direction.

3. In a vending-machine, the combination of an article-receptacleprovided with divisions for holding the articles in rows therein, aplurality of reciprocable independentlynlovable article-supports, andmechanism for moving said article-supports by a step-bystep movement inone direction and restoring them to their original positions,substantially as described.

4. In a vending-machine, the combination of an article-receptacle, aplurality of longitudinally-reciprocable article-supports,leverscarrying said supports, and automatic means for actuating said levers insuccession by a step-by-step movement in one direction and restoringthem to their original positions substantially as described.

5. In a vending-machine, the combination of an article-receptacleprovided with divisions for holding the articles in rows therein, aplurality of reciprocable independentlymovable article-supports, andmechanism for moving said article-supports by a step-by-step movement inone direction and automatically restoring them to their originalpositions, substantially as described.

6. In a vending-machine; the combination of an article-receptacle, aplurality of longitudinal ly-reciprocable article-snpports,leverscarrying said article-supports, and means for actuating said levers insuccession bya stepby-step movement and restoring them automatically,substantially as described.

7. In a vending-machine, the combination of an article-receptacle, aplurality of longitudinally-reciprocable article-supports, a series ofsimilar cams arranged at angles to each other and serving to actuatesaid supports in succession by step-by-step movement in one direction,and means for producing simultaneous step-by-step movement of said cams.

8. In a vending-machine, the combination of an article-receptacle, aseries of longitudinally-reciprocable article-supports, oscillatinglevers carrying said supports, a shaft, a series of cams fixed to saidshaft and regulating the positions of said levers and means forproducing stepby-step movement of said shaft.

9. In a vending-machine, the combination of an article-receptacle,aseries of longitudinallyreciprocable article-supports, adischarge-chute arranged beneath said supports, oscillating leverscarrying said supports, and mechanism for actuating said levers.

10. In a vending-machine, the combination of an article-support, a camprovided with a series of steps, a stem connected with said support andhaving a bearing resting on said cam, a ratchet-wheel fixed to revolvewith said cam, and means for moving said ratchet- Wheel.

11. In a vending-machine, the combination of a series oflongitudinally-reciprocable article-supports, a series of oscillatinglevers carrying said supports, a shaft, a series of similar cams fixedto said shaft and having their corresponding elevations located atangles to each other, and means for actuating said shaft.

12. In a vending-machine, the combination of a series ofarticle-supports, a series of cams serving to regulate the positions ofsaid supports, each cam being provided at one portion of its peripherywith a series of steps and adjacent thereto with a restoring-incline,the corresponding parts of the cams being separated by angles, andmechanism for producing simultaneous step-by-step movement of said cams.

13. In a vending-machine, the combination ofa series of articlesupports,a series oflevers carrying said supports, a shaft,a series of cams fixedto said shaft, each cam being provided at one portion of its peripherywith a series of steps, corresponding parts of the several cams beinglocated at angles to each other, a ratchet-wheel through which motion isimparted to said shaft, and means for actuating saidratchet-wheel,substantially as described.

14:. In a vending-machine, the combination of a casing, anarticle-receptacle supported therein and having means for holding thearticles in rows, a series of independent longitudinally reciprocablearticle supports beneath said receptacle, and mechanism for producing astep-by-step movement of said article-supports in succession in onedirection and automatically restoring them, substantially as described.

15. In a vending-machine, the combination of an artic1e-receptacle,aseries of article-supports, a shaft, and a series of cams fixed to saidshaft and serving to regulate the movements of said article-supports,said cams having in alinement corresponding elevated portions and havinga series of steps separated from each other by angles, whereby saidsupports are held in their advanced position when the shaft is in oneposition, and are successively moved by step-by-step movements when theshaft is rotated.

16. In a vending-machine, the combination of an article-receptacle, adischarge-chute located beneath said receptacle, a series oflongitudinally-reciprocable article-supports arranged between the upperend of said chute and the open bottom of said receptacle, a series ofoscillating levers connected with the rear ends of said supports, andmechanism for producing step-by-step movements of said levers insuccession in one direction and restoring them in sucession.

MORTIMER B. MILLS.

In presence of L. HEISLAR, ALBERT D. BACCI.

